Fixes Hub
InputMapper Troubleshooting
Fixes for the errors and symptoms InputMapper users actually hit — organized by the message on your screen, not by our categories.
Fix It by Symptom
- “Failed to connect exclusively” / “Could not open exclusively” — the most common InputMapper error, and its modern fix.
- Double input — one press, two actions: the game is reading both your real pad and the virtual one.
- Controller not detected — “no compatible controllers detected” and empty device lists.
- “Virtual bus not found” — the ViGEmBus driver is missing, broken, or conflicting.
- InputMapper won’t open or crashes on startup — .NET, permissions, firewall, and leftover-driver checks.
- Bluetooth lag and disconnects — interference, power management, and pairing hygiene.
Platform and Tool Conflicts
- Not working on Windows 11 — what changed, and the fix order that works (see also the Windows 11 hub).
- InputMapper vs Steam Input conflicts — the settings that stop them fighting.
Driver Stack Help
- Worried about HidGuardian? — why the old driver scares people, and the safe migration to HidHide.
- ViGEmBus install guide — the final 1.22.0, from GitHub only, with its verified checksum.
- HidHide setup guide — the modern device-hiding tool, configured properly.
- HidGuardian vs HidHide — how the hiding stack evolved, and which one you should have.
- ScpToolkit / ScpVBus legacy risks — what old guides recommend, and why to remove it.
Still stuck? Re-run the complete setup guide from a clean slate — most stubborn problems are install-order problems.